Opportune Moment
by labyrinths
Summary: The opportune moment was there and it slipped like water through his fingers. JE Complete.
1. Chapter 1

-**Opportune Moment**

_Disclaimer: I do not own POTC or any of its characters. The following are a series of vignettes._

- 1-

The opportune moment was there and it slipped like water through his fingers. The look on her face was suddenly different and Jack realized his chance was gone and turned away in anger.  
He was going to kill Davy Jones.  
If it had not been for that damn black mark reappearing on his palm he would have kissed her.  
It was the second time he missed his cue with Elizabeth and it made him smoulder.

The first time had been at the island. They danced around the bonfire, drinking rum and swapping songs. He'd told her bawdy jokes she pretended to dislike and stories she eagerly absorbed.  
Jack tried to get near her and it was like a dance, he taking one step forward and Elizabeth taking a step back. But slowly they moved closer and her eyes were mischievous and inviting.  
He toyed with her hair, slyly tugging at a lock. And then, just then there had been one moment, one quick and bright moment, when she was leaning against him and they had been so close and all he had to do was take her face between his hands and kiss her.  
He had not.  
It had nothing to do with him drinking too much rum or a sudden outburst of morals. No. Jack Sparrow simply thought that if he ever got the chance he'd like to have her sober and completely awake. He did not want her blaming the rum, forgetting the whole thing.  
Whores he'd had a plenty but a lady was a rare find and he thought it ought to be a more solemn occasion and not just a muddled drunken blur.  
He'd kiss her later and he'd kiss her good.  
But this did not happen, Elizabeth delivering herself into the arms of her blacksmith.

Life, however, is a funny thing. Just when he thought he'd never lay eyes on that girl she came tumbling into his ship again.  
This time he was determined to seize the moment and it was not like she was unwilling, those fleeting glances making Jack grin.  
Little Lizzie might want to marry Will but he was sure she just plain wanted him.  
So he simply waited knowing he'd spot the right time.  
Then, it happened. The flirtatious banter. She moving to his side, oh so tantalizingly close. And though he knew she was toying with him, testing his boundaries, she was also serious.  
It was the opportune moment and by all means he should have kissed her senseless, leaving fingerprints all over her body. But the damn black spot had reappeared, Davy Jones interrupting his reverie.  
The moment was thrown overboard and he was left bandaging his hand and cursing between his teeth.

The next time he promised himself she was not escaping him.  
The next time he was going to seize the bloody moment and kiss that girl even if it killed him.  
It nearly did.


	2. Chapter 2

- 2 -

She loved Will.  
She loved him when she was a child and they played along the beach, giggling and chasing seagulls. She loved him when the child waned and was replaced by a pimpled, skinny thing. Afterwards, when in heavy-skirts and tight-corsets the girl became a lady unfit to play with wooden swords she loved him even more.  
She loved him because he was handsome, kind, sweet. Everything her books promised a man should be.  
He was her best friend, her confidant, her compass guiding her though life and steering her from evil and towards goodness.  
When the time came the choice was easy.  
Elizabeth could not live without her compass.  
Elizabeth could not live without Will.  
She must save herself and save him. Let Jack perish.  
After all, she disliked Jack.

In her books pirates had been far more well-behaved and sweet and clean. They did not stumble through the sand, filled to the brim with rum, making fools of themselves and clicking their tongues in an obnoxious manner.  
God, he was obnoxious. God, she was trapped with him on that island.  
She hated how he was never serious, never able to stay still for a moment and look at her without laughing. Never look at her with some respect.  
Elizabeth was furious when he tried to run a hand along her arm. Who did he think he was? She wanted to slap that smirk off his face.  
And if, perhaps for a brief, brief moment or two, she had found him pleasant she could blame this on the rum which made all things bloated and unrecognizable. Only she wasn't really that drunk.  
She did not like him at all and when they had finally been rescued and Will was safe and all their adventures over and Jack had sailed away on the Pearl, Elizabeth was glad. Elizabeth could finally breath.

To be placed near that vile man again. To have to sail with him and stand next to him on deck and listen to his completely inappropriate banter.  
She disliked him as much the second time around as the first. Mocking her grief and proposing marriage as though marriage was something to joke about.  
She did not like him and what Norrington suggested was … well, it was preposterous. Anyone could have seen she loved Will, disliked Jack.

Perhaps when he wasn't so annoying, when he pointed out stars for her with his dirty fingers, when he explained how he obtained scars and tattoos alike, when he smoothed her hair with vague kindness, perhaps on those occasions she liked him a little. But only a little.  
However, he would always ruin it by calling her Lizzie or love or pet, shattering every single precious moment with a leer or a melodramatic swing of his arms. She could let out her breath then and frown and curse him. Damn pirate.  
She disliked Jack no matter what Jack, Norrington or the compass said.

Therefore the choice was incredibly easy. Chain him to the ship, let the kraken have him.  
She saved their lives and saved Will and damned Jack.  
Will was her compass, her guide. Elizabeth could not live without her compass.

Afterwards, sitting still and staring at the dark Elizabeth pressed a palm against her chest and shivered.  
Elizabeth could not live without her compass.  
Unfortunately, she had not realized she could not live without her heart either.


	3. Chapter 3

_Note: Thanks to everyone who has read and those who have reviewed a very extra special thanks. This whole thing will be made of 10 chapters. So on with chapter 3 and Will Turner._

- 3 -

He wished he were a little more selfish. He wished he could bind Elizabeth to his side and demand her affection but he was not that kind of man. He was not the kind of man to try and keep a bird caged after it had flown away.  
It was not Will trying to be noble. It was Will being Will and that meant they were going to save Jack, they were going to save Will's father, they were going to end Davy Jones' reign of terror over the seas.  
No attempt to be a hero.  
Just his true nature.

She said it was just a trick. A deception made into a kiss. She said she was saving their lives and they should still get married.  
But Will knew. Something had changed. Something was broken and gone, and Elizabeth could deny it but Will was not going to.  
He'd never been good at lies.  
By no means did that imply he was unfeeling. He was angry and desperate and sad. He cursed at the sea and cursed at the pirate that had stolen his woman.  
He wasn't so naïve to really believe that anything that didn't want to be stolen had been taken.

He'd known Elizabeth since they were children and he'd known she cared for him a great deal, loved him even. He could see it in her eyes.  
But now those eyes held something else. There was a fire burning in them. It stung but Will knew he was not the one who had started that fire.  
Before, Elizabeth had looked at him with the steadiness of the tide, a calm painted ocean with no clouds in sight. Now she was brimming with storms and thunderous waves crashing against the rocks. Now she burned and glowed like an ember.  
He could not take credit for this.  
It was not like she had been terribly unhappy before and he was sure that she could have been perfectly still and content at his side had Jack failed to appear and ignite this change. But Jack had appeared and made everything different.  
Jack had set her free and it hurt because Will had never realized she was chained.


	4. Chapter 4

_Note: Thanks for the nice reviews. I wasn't going to post today again but your comments had swayed me. Enjoy chapter 4. _

- 4 -

He was still going to kill Davy Jones, no doubt about it. But first things first mate. First think of a way to escape.  
Yes. Kill Davy. Slice that squid in half. Then get even with Elizabeth.  
He'd do that. As soon as he got out of this place and that couldn't be that hard, having survived the kraken.  
Only, well, this place was kind of hard to escape from.  
If the prison had been made of bricks and iron bars Jack would have had it easy. But instead Davy Jones had confined him to a prison of the mind and escaping was a tad more complicated.  
"Sweet dreams," Davy Jones had chuckled, after slamming the door to his cell shut.  
Only the dreams, endless dream after dream, had not been sweet.  
He slept, caught in a tangled web of vivid nightmares. Half the time he did not know he was asleep and the other half, when he did and he gritted his teeth and reminded himself he was going to kill Davy for this, it didn't matter because it still felt real.

In most of the dreams he was back on the island. It was unwaveringly hot and he was laying on the sand, hands and feet bound. The sun burnt his skin and his throat was dry and he could not free himself, his flesh burning black under the cruel sun.  
On occasions, Elizabeth made an appearance. She would run her fingers over his chest, digging her nails into his skin and it hurt. It hurt very badly and suddenly he gasped and her hands were gripping his heart, squeezing it. She held his beating heart between her hands and ripped it apart.

Sometimes he dreamt a different dream.  
He dreamt about Elizabeth. But it was not the Elizabeth that attacked him and had blood dribbling down her chin.  
It was his Elizabeth.  
How silly to think in terms of _his_ because if anything she was Will's and if Jack ever saw her again he was going to kill her. Or at least give her a good strong beating. Or make her pay somehow. He'd figure the details later.  
In any case, in his dream it was night and Elizabeth was asleep, curled against him in those unflattering boy's clothes, hair messy and tangled.  
Jack watched her in silence, making no attempt to wake her and perhaps shatter the dream. He was content with watching.  
She was really rather pretty when she wasn't trying to betray him and chain him to the mast. She looked soft, a little vulnerable, and he liked it. Elizabeth awake would brush him off if he tried to put his arms around her.  
But Elizabeth like this, stripped of her sharp words and insurmountable defences, this one he could lay next to and hold.  
Not that he disliked the strong woman inside of her. He delighted in her feistiness. Still, would it have killed her to put that iron mask aside more often? Perhaps to be a little nicer to Captain Jack? Hadn't he saved her life more than once? Why was it that it felt like a damn duel every time he faced that woman? Why was it that the only way she could kiss him was if she was tricking him, trying to get him killed?  
He stared at Elizabeth asleep, wondering about all these things. Eventually he placed his arms around her and buried his face in the crook of her neck, clutching her with greedy fingers.  
And this dream, this was the worst dream of all.


	5. Chapter 5

_Note: Thanks for the reviews. Your comments are always kindly appreciated. So here is Jack and chapter 5.  
_

-5-

Things were getting hazy, as they did when Jack had a little too much to drink. Which didn't happen _that_ often. But yes, things seemed hazier and dimmer. The dimness of light streaming above you as you dive beneath the waves.  
He had the sensation he was forgetting something important.  
What was it?  
He'd been on this island for so long. So long, he couldn't even remember anything except the blazing sun and the sand burning his body.  
But no. Wait. He'd gotten off the island, hadn't he?  
Yes. He had a ship. He lost the ship, and was thrown into that wretched island … only to get the ship back …. the island again. But then Davy came back and he said…he couldn't remember what he said.  
There had been…a dead monkey? A dead monkey? Blasted heat that made him think such silly things. Where would he find something like that?  
Well, he wasn't sure about the monkey anymore and forgot many other things. But he knew there had been Elizabeth.

Elizabeth. Elizabeth Swann.   
Jack stubbornly repeated the name, like a prayer.  
Beads of sweat rolled down his face.  
Lizzie. Lovely, lovely Lizzie by firelight. She'd been…she'd been on that island too, hadn't she? He'd almost kissed her and failed, but afterwards…afterwards she had kissed him.  
He did recall a kiss. What a kiss. And … hadn't … hadn't she almost killed him?

There's something he'd promised himself to do after he got out of this place but Jack couldn't remember. It was hard to recall anything and he'd been there for so long, the days blending into each other and never ending. Did it ever get dark in this island? It did not seem so for the sun remained in the sky, a ball of fire above his head and he stared at it.  
A crab scurried by.  
There was something important that he'd been forgetting and the memory itched against his tired head, begging to resurface only to be bobbed down and drowned again.  
He couldn't remember anything that was not pain and loneliness and fear.  
But then it came back to him: Elizabeth.  
He'd promised himself to meet her again although he wasn't entirely sure what good this might do seeing as, now he recalled, there had been a fiancé somewhere.  
So really, it would do him no good to see her again. But he still wanted to.  
He wanted … he wanted Elizabeth near. If his compass was in his hands he knew where it'd be pointing to.   
He knew he was forgetting and he didn't feel like forgetting her. It's one thing to take away a man's freedom and his bloody ship and another to try and take away this.   
Blasted Davy Jones, this must be his doing. The squid is empty and must want everyone to be as empty as he is. Devoid even of the memories of a smile that is as precious as gold and the whisper of a voice.

Well, bugger Davy Jones.   
He is not forgetting her.  
Elizabeth. He'll carve the name on his chest if that's what it takes.  
Forgetting her means forgetting why he wants to escape.


	6. Chapter 6

_Note: Thanks for reading so far. I hope to finish this soon. 4 more chapters to go. Might take me a little longer to update from now on.  
_

- 6 -

To have come so far. Stealing Sao Feng's charts, making their way to Davy Jones' fortress and taking his favourite prisoner. And yet to have accomplished nothing at all. It was not fair.  
Because although Tia Dalma had promised the potion would work Jack Sparrow lay asleep.  
Magic was useless. There was no sense in sitting by the bed and staring at Jack as though any second now he would open his eyes and smile at her.  
Two days and two nights had not made a difference and two seconds would not change that.  
Elizabeth kept waiting.  
Nothing changed.

There were stars glittering above and she was back on the island. The water was ink black, static, like a dark mirror. No sound of waves broke the silence. No breeze blew through the trees. Standing there, looking out towards the sea was Jack Sparrow.  
"Jack!" she said rushing towards him and stopping suddenly as she reached him, realizing there was no reason to be so thrilled.  
She was dreaming. A silly dream, nothing more.  
Jack's head turned slowly, his gaze finally falling on her. He looked tired and his eyes did not shine with impish waywardness. They were dull and dead. Neither did he smile, that terrible and wonderful smile she had expected. He looked at her and through her as though she were not there.  
"Jack," she repeated.  
He shook his head slightly but did not speak.  
"Jack Sparrow. What is wrong with you?"  
"There was something I lost," he muttered at last. "I thought I had it here a moment ago but it's gone."  
"What?"  
"I don't know," he said looking back towards the sea. "I think the ocean took it."  
"You mean the Pearl?" she said, and when he did not answer she pressed on. "You mean your ship. The kraken dragged it to the bottom of the ocean along with you. Is that it?"  
"I don't remember having a ship."  
Elizabeth might have laughed. Jack Sparrow, unable to remember the Pearl? The thing he treasured more than anything else? Only she couldn't laugh because he seemed to be sincere.  
"Of course you remember the Pearl. Barbossa stole the Pearl from you. You remember the Pearl. You remember Davy Jones. You sold your soul in exchange for that damn ship."  
It was clear he did not care, not even turning to look at her at this point, transfixed by the sea.  
"I've always been here. I've never left this island. I never will."  
"That is a lie," she said, growing increasingly nervous. "You are Captain Jack Sparrow. Why, you are the most fearsome pirate of in all the … in all the world."  
Her fingers clutched his sleeve and tugged at it.  
"Do you remember me?" she asked.  
He brushed her hand aside with vague kindness and shook his head.  
"Afraid not."  
"I am Elizabeth," she said.  
He must recall his near-murderess and yet nothing. No flicker of recognition.  
"You saved my life and we were marooned and you proposed marriage, although you didn't mean it. You never mean anything. You … must remember me," she said quickly, all useless rambling because it seemed as though she were speaking in another tongue.  
Jack's eyes met hers.  
"I'm sorry. I don't know you," he said, walking away.  
Elizabeth felt a stab of true pain. An invisible knife lodged in her belly and she wondered if it had hurt like this when she'd betrayed him.  
"Stop," she mumbled. "Stop! Stop! Stop!"  
She ran and rushing in front of him barred his way.  
"I'm not letting you go," she said.  
Elizabeth pressed her lips against his, a desperate plea. She was crying and when she stepped back, brushing stray tears away Jack was looking at her as though he were seeing her for the first time.  
"Elizabeth," he said.  
There was a bright flash in the sky and the rumble of thunder. It was raining all of a sudden, the palm trees swaying under the might of a storm.

She woke up.  
Elizabeth looked around the cabin, Jack asleep and the sound of rain loud and clear.  
She had been dreaming.  
Of course she had.  
Elizabeth stared at Jack, feeling cheated and alone, the dream having left a bitter taste.  
"Why won't you wake up?" she demanded.  
"Maybe another kiss will do the trick."  
Elizabeth jumped up from her seat. He had spoken. His eyes were closed but he had spoken.  
Jack smiled, his smirk as sharp as any blade and then his eyes did open and he was looking at her.


	7. Chapter 7

- 7 -

There'd be rum and stories and singing and many merry toasts to Jack Sparrow's health. But although they were expected to join the others for this little celebration, Will and Elizabeth were standing alone on deck.A man of silences who often fumbled over the right words, Will Turner was busy leaning against the rail and looking at the stars. True, his silences had increased in frequency during the past weeks but he had always been filled with inner secrets and unspoken speeches.  
The silence, however, had grown heavier to bear and that morning when Elizabeth appeared, hauling Mr.Gibbs away and saying Jack was finally awake, Will understood the time of silence was at an end.  
"I was thinking," he began, sliding his hands into his pockets and glancing at Elizabeth, "when all this is over and we are rid of Davy Jones, I'd like to go to Persia."  
Puzzled she opened her mouth, perhaps to protest, perhaps to ask a question. Will did not know and did not care to find out. He pressed on, before he lost his courage and forgot what he meant to say.  
"I think a different climate might do me good and … well, it might be fun. It strikes me suddenly that I've seldom done anything fun. I spent so much time training with a sword or making a sword, and well … I always did like those Arabian Night stories you told me so much about."  
She extended a hand towards him, as though she meant to touch him but then thinking about it better pulled back and just looked at him with grave, sad eyes. He could clearly see the girl he had grown up with standing before him at that moment. But he could also make out the woman that had replaced her and if the girl might have been his, the woman was not.  
"In certain regards I may be naive, but I know when I have lost a fight," he said. "On occasions, I also know how to exit somewhat gracefully."  
He took Elizabeth's hand, which lay limp at her side, and pressed it against his mouth. She smiled, that happy grin that he knew so well. Like a little girl finding a precious shell in the sand.  
"You are a true gentleman Will Turner," she said.  
"I suppose," he said. "But he is no gentleman at all. Just make sure he is good to you or I will kill him. For once and for all this time."  
Will stepped back and smiled, just a tiny smile, then walked away with a steady pace. The wound had been cauterized. In time it would heal completely.  
For now, he headed towards the circle where sailors spun stories of fantastic mermaids, letting the rocking of the waves and the sound of songs comfort him.


	8. Chapter 8

- 8 -

He at least expected an apology. Actually he expected a little more than that. But what he had not expected was for Elizabeth Swann to take off as soon as he sat up. He'd barely had time to get a word out when she was already heading for the door and then shoving Gibbs in.  
At first he thought it natural that she'd go talk to the crew, perhaps even bring some rum back. But no. He was left to brood in the company of Ragetti, who tried to feed him some broth and mumbled so much nonsense eventually Jack kicked the pirate out. Jack didn't need to be mothered.  
What he needed was a drink.  
What he needed was for Elizabeth to get the hell back into the cabin.  
But of course Miss Swann was probably holding hands with her beau and exchanging longing looks. After all, she'd kissed Jack but once and only to saver her own skin. The rest had been nothing but Jack's idle musings and dreams. He'd let his imagination run wild and now here was reality. Stinking reality meant he was alone and she didn't give a damn.  
He muttered curses between his teeth and leaned back in his chair. There was a knock and Jack rolled his eyes.  
"For the last time Ragetti, I will not eat any of your mother's famous concoctions," he yelled.  
When the door swung open though it was not the bumbling pirate but Elizabeth.

Jack straightened his back and started twiddling his thumbs. He knew she'd show up. He hadn't had the slightest … well, perhaps a _little_ doubt.  
"What took you so long?" he said, smiling a flicker of gold. "You got some rum for me, love?"  
"Mr.Gibbs says you should be resting and there should be no rum for you."  
"I've had enough rest. I did nothing but rest when I was caught in squid-face's prison. If you brought some rum we could have ourselves a party. No need to tell Mr. Gibbs, of course."  
She grimaced but her face also showed cordial amusement.  
"I will not be smuggling that vile drink in here. In fact I … I came only to say one thing."  
"Say it then."  
"I'm sorry."  
"You're not sorry darling, even if your good manners make you say so. Truth is Lizzie, you are an opportunist. Just like me. Weaselling your way out of any situation, no matter what," Jack chuckled and rose from his seat. "Can't say it didn't hurt a bit, 'cause it sure did. Wanted to kill you for a moment but then … well … I'll forgive you. Just promise you won't kill me again."  
"I promise," she said in a most solemn fashion and then, looking down at her hands. "And I really am sorry."  
"But you've saved my life. That makes it even."  
This seemed to please her and she gave him an absolutely exhilarating smile, making Jack feel like an idiot-schoolboy about to blush over nothing. But secretly Jack had been putting aside all the glances and smiles, no matter how minuscule, Elizabeth Swann had flashed his way since the day they'd met.  
"Is that all you wished to discuss?" he asked, moving closer to her.  
As an answer she reached into her pockets and produced his compass, placing it between his fingers.  
"I need to return it to you now. I borrowed it … just for a little while," she said.  
Like his heart perhaps.  
Jack chuckled at the irony of the thought and tucked the compass away.  
"Very kind of you Elizabeth. But I wasn't thinking about this trinket when I asked that question."  
She glanced away, towards some invisible point.  
He tried to find something in Elizabeth's face, although he wasn't sure what he was even looking for, and encountering only sadness and darkness his own face darkened too.  
"You've kissed me and killed me and still we can't have an honest, straightforward conversation, eh? Come on. You thinking about Will Turner?"  
When she didn't say anything Jack frowned.  
"I'm not exactly a man of poetry and having had little experience with fine ladies I am unfamiliar with their courting habits. So I'll be blunt. I'm going to take a step forward. If you so feel inclined you can take a step forward too and we can see what develops."  
"What could develop?"  
"I haven't the faintest idea," he said and took his step. "But I've never been afraid of uncharted waters. It'll be an adventure."  
When she made no effort to move and kept staring at him Jack let out a sigh.  
"I thought adventures involved maps and treasure," she replied.  
Then Elizabeth slid towards him and raising a tentative hand she brushed his lips with her fingertips.  
He was there and she was there and it was definitely the moment Jack had been waiting for.


	9. Chapter 9

_Note: Thanks so much for reading and the nice reviews. This is almost done. Just one more chapter left and I think an epilogue (maybe, haven't made up my mind). So enjoy and please tell me what you think :) _

- 9 -

Miss Elizabeth Swann woke up to a rather improper tangle of bed sheets and limbs, a pirate sprawled next to her and she in a most unseemly state.  
She smiled to herself and then frowned and then sighed, her emotions changing with each second.  
She was exactly where she wanted to be, in Jack's arms, yet little doubts fluttered through her mind.  
Elizabeth had known Will like a beloved and worn book but knew so little about Jack. Most of his stories were fake and his words lies. Uncharted waters indeed and with them the fear of drowning, of broken hearts.  
She thought it best to banish all conscious thought and instead go in search of food. Perhaps she might be able to pilfer something other than Barbossa's treasured apples or the abundant hard biscuits they crew ate. Perhaps she might even make an exception and take some rum. She began quietly gathering her clothes.  
"Really Lizbeth, I've told you before. Those rags don't flatter you at all," Jack said leaning up on his elbows and shooting her a grin. "Best to keep them off."  
She immediately blushed and tried to cover herself with her hands, an automatic gesture, before realizing the futility of this shred of modesty. He'd already taken a good look at her before.  
"First thing I'm doing after we are finished with Davy Jones is buying you a proper dress. Maybe some jewels. Isn't that what makes all women happy? Dresses and shinny things?" "Shinny things make magpies happy," she replied.  
"Ah, yes. I wonder what pleases swans?"  
She shrugged and began buttoning her shirt.  
"Love, I'm rather bad at the whole making women happy bit. Most often than not I'll get a good slapping. But I'm willing to attempt the keeping you happy," he said.  
"Yes, but for how long?"  
"You question my devotion?" he asked with mock pain.  
"I question your ability to focus and concentrate on a single woman for longer than five minutes."  
"You wound me. Deep down inside me there's a hopeless romantic. He's there somewhere, the poor sap."  
She smiled and sat at the edge of the bed, Jack quickly scooting closer to her.  
"I dreamt about you, you know? Not just one dream," he said, his hands coming to rest on her shoulders.  
"Tia Dalma said you'd be trapped in an eternal nightmare. That your dreams…"  
"I meant before I was imprisoned. I so wanted to see you again and never to see you at all, knowing if I did see you, you'd be properly married to Mr. Turner."  
She turned to look at him and for a moment his face was dead serious, slowly giving away to his usual merry facade.  
"I've wanted you for a while now and the thing is I didn't think I'd get to have you. Me and Lizzie Swann. But here you are," Jack placed a light kiss on her neck. "After all the fuss and trouble, well, if a man finds a diamond in the sand he doesn't toss it away Lizzie. He tries and keep said diamond. Perhaps said diamond has certain peculiarities that incite a troubling amount of affection which makes it difficult to toss said diamond aside."  
"Captain Sparrow, might this be a declaration of love?"  
Jack stopped the kissing and gave her a frown.  
"The last time I attempted a declaration of love I was fifteen years old and had a ripe crop of pimples. That didn't go too well and I have since learned that declarations of love are extremely overrated. So no. Take it as anecdotal information."  
Elizabeth reached for his hand and laced her fingers with his.  
"Well, as anecdotal information, I have also discovered a troubling amount of affection towards a certain pirate captain."  
"Not Barbossa, right?" Jack joked, feigning shock. "Really Lizzie, that would be in very poor taste."  
"Jack!"  
"Elizabeth."  
They looked at each other in silence. Elizabeth gave Jack a quick peck on the cheek and giggled, feeling suddenly giddy with excitement. Then she rose, attempting to continue getting dressed.  
"What are you doing?"  
"Getting breakfast," she said.  
"I was dead for three months," he said, pulling her towards him and the bed. "I don't need breakfast this very instant."  
"You were not dead, you big liar," she said, hitting his chest, her splayed hand so very lightly resting against him. "You were just laying there in a cell, snoring away."  
"However, I was for all intents and purposes dead and unable to walk or move or do any of the sort of things living people do. Which basically means I came back from the dead."  
"That is inaccurate."  
"Elizabeth?"  
"Yes?"  
"We'll discuss this later."  
Jack's arms wrapped around her and he silenced her with a kiss.  
And even if he might not declare it, Elizabeth knew Jack felt it, his heart racing under her palm and hers answering in turn.


	10. Chapter 10

- 10 -

It was good to be out of his cabin and walking on deck, even if it wasn't the deck of his Pearl. It was good to see the crew and greet the men and feel the breeze in his face. Yes, it was good to be back.  
Not that his cabin hadn't held some interesting treasures as Jack had been intently exploring a new found continent, one with a woman's name.  
Yes, Elizabeth Swann. He smiled a wicked smile. Now that was a woman, able to tie a man into a frightful knot and make herself utterly and completely unforgettable.  
When he got himself his ship, for even if the Pearl was nothing but little splinters of wood at the bottom of the ocean he knew he'd get her back, he'd rename it _Lady Elizabeth_. He seriously considered this idea for a moment and then discarded it.  
Jack didn't want Elizabeth getting any funny ideas. She was already proud enough, then to add a whole ship named after her to the mixture would only produce an even haughtier woman, sure of her hold on the captain.  
Her hold was deep. But he wasn't about to tell her that. Let her wonder a little.  
"Lovely day, isn't it?" he said, as Elizabeth approached him.  
It was a grand day, blue waters blue skies and not a cloud marring it. This was the calm before the storm and he was aware of that. Soon they must steal Davy Jones' heart from the hands of Beckett, destroy Jones and free Will's father, all while avoiding Sao Feng, who apparently had a bit of a grudge against them for taking some of his precious charts.  
All standard live or die adventure, a pity it would hinder his opportunities to spend many quiet moments with Elizabeth. Bugger.  
"Delightful," she said, dangling a bottle of rum before his eyes.  
"Lizzie," he replied, grabbing the bottle. "You and me are going to be very happy together."  
He took a swig and then offered the bottle back to Elizabeth, who charmingly took a sip instead of guzzling the liquor down as he had, then wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.  
They stood there drinking and feeling the ship's movement under their feet, until Jack remembered what he'd meant to tell her, snapping his fingers and chuckling.  
"I promised precious jewels for my girl. I've decided to start with this knick-knack," he said, pulling off a ring from his finger. "It was Barbossa's, but I don't think the man will mind."  
"I'm not taking a stolen ring!"  
"Borrowed, Lizzie. Borrowed. Until I find something more suitable."  
"Until you steal something more suitable."  
"You are ruining the moment."  
"I can't even wear that. It's too big and it's ugly, and I am not…"  
Jack rolled his eyes and stomped his foot. "It's a marriage proposal, you daft woman!"  
Elizabeth stared at him, her hands falling to her sides.  
"It is?"  
"I already asked you once but you declined," he reminded her.  
"You were joking."  
"So what? I'm asking again and I'm not asking a third time. Take it or leave it."  
"I'll take it."  
"Good," he said, placing the ring on her open palm. "But if anyone asks, I kidnapped you, seduced you and at gun point forced you to wed me. Savvy?"  
"Afraid the legend might lose some of its lustre if the truth gets out?" she asked, her arms now around his neck.  
"I have reputation to protect."  
He swooped down for a kiss, then ran his fingers through Elizabeth's hair, suddenly chuckling.  
"_Lusty Mistress_," he muttered.  
"What?" Elizabeth's eyes fixed on him.  
"Nothing darling. Just considering some monikers."  
Jack snaked his arm around Elizabeth's waist and they stood there, looking at the ocean.  
It _was_ indeed a wonderful day.

The End

_Note: This is it THE END. Stay tuned for a brief epilogue. _


	11. Chapter 11

-Epilogue -

Sticky heat that made cloth stick to flesh and an assortment of strange buildings, strange people, strange sounds greeted him.

A sac slung over a shoulder, looking utterly lost, William Turner regarded Bombay. Well, they'd said they needed blacksmiths, goldsmiths, weavers and all kinds of everything here, trade booming on the island and he did require more money to finance the final objective of his trip. He'd promised himself he would see Persia and that was yet far and away.

Of course he could have asked Jack to provide some monetary compensation for the loss of his fiancée, but that would not have been the behaviour of a proper gentleman and Will even after all their adventures, was a proper gentleman.

Nevertheless, Will regarded Bombay like one observes a dangerous and large beast, fearing its strangeness. For a moment he was compelled to get back on the ship and head back to the safety of Port Royal.

He had, however, promised himself he would do this. How hard could it be? After undead, Aztec-cursed pirates and Kraken infested waters, Bombay paled in comparison.

And he needed this.

He needed new waters and new skies and a new world where to mend his heart, the death of his father and Elizabeth's loss having taken their toll.

Right there, right before him stood that world. The Gateway of India a merry greeting and an invitation.

"Here's to adventure," he said.

Smiling, Will took a step forward. Towards the future.

_ Note: Thanks everyone for reading and reviewing. This is the end of the end. The epilogue. I'll try and write another POTC story after this. Well, etc, etc. Cheers._


End file.
